Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting With Single Cross-Clamp Results in Fewer Persistent Neuropsychological Deficits Than Multiple Clamp or Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

These results suggest that surgical technique is very important in determining cognitive outcome after CABG. Cardiopulmonary bypass is not the most important factor in determining outcome and when carefully performed with single cross-clamp and minimal aortic manipulation is equal or may be superior to off-pump operation. We suspect that mild hypothermia in on-pump surgery is additionally neuroprotective, a factor that should be taken into account when planning an operation.